A Space OdysseyThe year was 1957. The USSR had just slung Sputnik into space to circle the globe, taunting the USA with its incessant beeps. In America, people dug their fallout shelters. In Russia, they drank vodka. The space race was on and the Soviets were crushing it.
Meanwhile, in a parallel universe, there was a whole different kind of space race. In this reality there was no arms race, but rather an arm-in-arm quest by the Russians and Americans to launch out into and explore space together. It is from this universe that the Space Race pedal has emerged...
(https://i.imgur.com/DomM6PT.jpg)
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This pedal is a MB Pork Barrel (CE2) into a tap tremolo. I built it for a great guy, Dillon, who plays in a band called Common Hours. He's the guy playing the Tele.
Dillon wanted a chorus—CE2 in particular —and trem together in one box. As we started working through ideas, I suggested the MusicPCB Tap Tempo Tremolo because of its versatility. He really got excited about that idea so we started talking about the look and style of the pedal. He really wanted something space oriented. Originally we were thinking some kind of sci-fi art and maybe a mission to Mars kind of thing. There was some going back and forth as we tried to come up with an idea we both liked and that I thought I could pull off.
Inspiration hit when he asked me if I could incorporate Russian text into the graphics in some way. (He had been studying Russian) That's when the whole cold war idea hit me. I asked him what he thought about a pedal themed around the space race with both US and Soviet styling cues. I thought it would be fun to imagine that it was actually a collaboration. He totally dug the idea so I started searching for images of old control consoles from that era. Then I got to work in Pages trying to draw something that could fit into a 1590XX.
(https://i.imgur.com/C2eNHmc.jpg)
I realized that the MusicPCB board (http://www.musicpcb.com/pcbs/tap-tempo-tremolo) wasn't going to fit, so I got to work drawing up a schematic using ideas from the Electric Druid (https://electricdruid.net/?s=taplfo&x=0&y=0) and MusicPCB docs. Then I did the smart thing and sent my schematic to Stomptown to have him do the layout. I always love and admire his work.
Next, I got to work looking for cool aerospace looking parts that could either mimic the parts I was seeing in the reference pictures or could at least look like they fit. I found some pretty cool stuff at PC Flights (http://pcflights.com) and Perihelion Design (https://www.periheliondesign.com). I also found some sweet non-run-of-the-mill stuff at some of the more traditional parts suppliers.
One of the goals all along was to make this thing look like it truly could be 60 years old. I learned some cool stuff by watching videos on steampunk. I was able to make the black plastic knobs look like they were metal that had some of the paint wearing away. To do this I used a "dry brush" technique. It's really fun. You take a paint brush, put some metallic paint on it, scrub it back and forth on a paper towel until it doesn't look like any more paint will come off of it, then swipe it back and forth across the high spots of the part you want to distress. It slowly deposits paint and allows you to build it up slowly. To create the patina, I used a brown stain/wash kind of paint. You paint it on, let it settle into cracks and crevices, and then wipe away the excess.
Another cool thing about this build is that all of the plates are machined from 1/8" aluminum. Special thanks to my good buddy Gary for cutting them for me. We went through a couple different versions. That's why some of the pics don't have the engraving in them. I wanted it to look like removable modules. I feel like the spray painting job was the best I've ever done, which isn't actually saying much. I actually did the whole wet sanding, multiple coats thing. They came out beautiful. Then I beat them all up to look old. The lettering was filled by spraying black and then wiping off.
(https://i.imgur.com/snkL5AV.jpg)
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One of the issues Gary and I ran into was he wasn't able to get the engraving of the Cyrillic text because it had to be smaller. I figured a decal could work but I wasn't sure how I was going to get one that would be tough enough and wouldn't look like a decal. Enter Forest Dukes of Dukes Designs (https://www.dukesdecals.com). It just so happens that his shop is across the street from my work. It also happens that he is extremely cool and helpful. I will absolutely be looking for help from him for future projects. He is able to print onto really tough vinyl in high detail and he can cut the decals to crazy shapes. The Russian decal exactly fits the aluminum plate that its attached to.
A while back, Dillon came to me and asked if I could somehow incorporate the "Caution Explosive Bolts" text from the escape pod on the movie
2001: A Space Odyssey. (Hopefully a few of you already had it figured out) I took a couple of the best images I could find of it and did my best to exactly replicate the text. I was originally going to put it on the bottom of the pedal but he uses velcro. So, I figured out a better place to put it! It looks so rad having the in/out jacks be the "explosive bolts."
(https://i.imgur.com/9QVr0Sl.jpg)
One of the things I ran into early on with this project was, how was I going to make all this stuff fit and work? I had been wanting to use a slide pot with a needle indicator for a while and I had dreamt up different ways of doing it, but none of it seemed realistic. The same with the little earth globe thingy. By the way, there are 2 interesting things about that globe. One is cool, one is... frustrating. The globe is obviously old because it has "Union of Soviet Socialist Republics" printed on it. Fitting! The sucky part is that there is a cat hair that is forever entombed. I worked so hard to keep it clean but I failed.
Anyway, as I was working out how I was going to mount and fit all this stuff, I had bought myself a 3D printer and was learning 3D modeling. One day it just dawned on me that I could print custom mounting brackets to hold stuff in place. Many iterations later I had a working internal bracket for the globe, slide pot, internal LEDs, and indicator light boxes. I also came up with a solution to fit a needle indicator, which actually uses a regular old sewing pin that I clipped to length. I also made board brackets for the Finish Line (http://1776effects.com/product/finish-line-relay-bypass/) bypass boards and a bracket for the jacks and switch on the top of the pedal. 3D printing drilling jigs is also awesome.
(https://i.imgur.com/x2Zgrhh.jpg)
Cutting and drilling seemed like it would never end for this thing. All of the screws on the pedal are actually functional. It required a drill press to make sure that all holes were square to the surface of the pedal so the screw heads would sit flat. I first drilled out all of the aluminum plates and then used them as guides to drill the enclosure. I snapped a couple drill bits in the process but everything lined up beautifully.
(https://i.imgur.com/i3CE5YM.jpg)
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I wanted the wiring to be cool and different. I had looked at a lot of cable lacing on line. It's an elegant old-school way to make wiring harnesses. I think it's beautiful. With the exception of a little bit of PVC hookup wire for some tight spots, the whole thing is wired with pushback cloth wire. I laced it using waxed linen thread that I bought at the craft store. I'm super happy with the way it came out.
Final assembly and wiring was like solving a puzzle and I was never really sure it would all go together until it finally did! I'm so grateful that I was able to get it. I had two really late nights last week pushing to get this thing done. This was a white whale that took me almost two years from conception to completion. I'm so glad to be getting back to my queue of projects. Hopefully 2019 will be a year I knock out several builds. We'll see.
Thanks for looking!!
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What a fantastic mission! Great to see all those amazing steps documented and how it came together.
Genius and way wicked sense of detail!
And I'm sure the original space crafts had some cat hair in it as well, somewhere.
Cat hair goes everywhere. Just ask my dog.
This is going to sound stupid, but the lacing is what really drove this over the top, for me :)
Crazy Build and what a great source for inspiration and building techniques. Can I get one, please :-)
Wow, what a cool job !
Well done !
what does the toggle and the slide switch control ?
BTW, absolutely incredible.
wow, what an insane amount of work and detail. Amazing job, Lee.
This should probably be in the BOTY contest.
That, is unf**king believable. I didn't think anything was going to beat the Mega VFE pedal, but close it down folks...
I use the wash and drybrushing techniques with my model kits - drybrushing in particular I really enjoy, but it never occurred to me to use it as part of a pedal finish.
Thanks so much for documenting this. Just an insane degree of artistry and foresight to get this from concept to completion. I'm always pleased with myself if I slap a decal and some clearcoat on a box and it looks OK, but THIS is fully functional artwork.
the amount of effort that went it to the small details is amazing. Crazy how much thought went into it.
Kudos!
Be still my heart.
Splendid build report and incredible work there.
One of the beautifulest pedal I've ever seen.
You got my vote!
Lee I have no words that could ever do it justice. I'm totally awestruck! Thanks for sharing with us mere mortals.
dave
Just amazing. Period.
Amazing. What more can I say?
Amazing build and a really fun to read build report
Thanks for detailing the build. I really enjoyed reading about it. It's amazing.
What? What happened? I fainted.
Thanks so much you guys. I really appreciate it.
Quote from: cooder on January 20, 2019, 07:33:42 AM
What a fantastic mission! Great to see all those amazing steps documented and how it came together.
Genius and way wicked sense of detail!
And I'm sure the original space crafts had some cat hair in it as well, somewhere.
Cat hair goes everywhere. Just ask my dog.
Thanks Stephan. I very much appreciate the kudos coming from a guy who builds the kind of stuff you do!
Quote from: alanp on January 20, 2019, 08:18:51 AM
This is going to sound stupid, but the lacing is what really drove this over the top, for me :)
I'm actually a little surprised at how well that part came out. I wasn't sure if I could pull it off. If you ever are inclined to give it a try, here are some really good instructions and drawings per the US Navy:
http://www.dairiki.org/hammond/cable-lacing-howto/
Quote from: LaceSensor on January 20, 2019, 12:43:08 PM
what does the toggle and the slide switch control ?
Um... yeah. Kind of weird that I wrote such a huge report and didn't mention what the controls do. The slide pot controls the rate of the chorus. The LED in it pulses with the rate. The switch goes between chorus and vibrato modes and it causes the corresponding indicator light boxes to light up. You can see/hear it in my BOTY post. The other knobs on the chorus side are depth and effect level.
Quote from: Willybomb on January 20, 2019, 12:53:35 PM
I use the wash and drybrushing techniques with my model kits - drybrushing in particular I really enjoy, but it never occurred to me to use it as part of a pedal finish.
It was fun to discover and really surprising to see the effects. I hope to do a steampunk design some time. If I do, I'm sure I'll use these techniques again. By the way, do you have any links or pics of your models? I would love to check that out.
Quote from: m-Kresol on January 20, 2019, 01:58:55 PM
the amount of effort that went it to the small details is amazing. Crazy how much thought went into it.
Kudos!
Thanks Felix. I will admit that I spend way more time thinking and imagining builds than I do actually executing the ideas. Maybe that's why I build so few pedals! Hopefully 2019 will be better.
Quote from: davent on January 20, 2019, 05:02:42 PM
Lee I have no words that could ever do it justice. I'm totally awestruck! Thanks for sharing with us mere mortals.
dave
Thanks Dave. But come now. We've seen your work. You're an artistic juggernaut in my mind.
Quote from: Bio77 on January 21, 2019, 06:08:10 PM
Thanks for detailing the build. I really enjoyed reading about it. It's amazing.
Thanks for the feedback. It's hard for me to know how much info people want. I know I tend to just look at pictures and don't always read huge blocks of text. Ironic!
Man, Lee.
My favorite build of yours, hands down. That's saying a lot, too...because I love all of your builds.
Possibly my favorite pedal build I have ever seen.
Just mind blowing Lee! I'm always amazed with your ability to think outside the box and create these masterpieces. So freaking cool... 😎
WOW. That is unbelievable.
Quote from: Dminner on January 22, 2019, 08:19:51 PM
WOW. That is unbelievable.
Thanks man. This is in part inspired by some of the stuff I've seen from guys like you and glops. It was in my early thinking to do a space junk kind of look with painted reverse etch but then it turned in a more literal direction. Still, I love your stuff.
Man, that an one epic build and an epic build report. WTF! Absolutely love it!!!
Quote from: glops on January 22, 2019, 09:47:49 PM
Man, that an one epic build and an epic build report. WTF! Absolutely love it!!!
Thanks. And thanks for the inspiring stuff you've posted here.
Now that's impressive, absolutely stellar build!
Hey, thank you!
Quote from: Leevibe on January 23, 2019, 12:31:52 AM
Quote from: glops on January 22, 2019, 09:47:49 PM
Man, that an one epic build and an epic build report. WTF! Absolutely love it!!!
Thanks. And thanks for the inspiring stuff you've posted here.
This is just such a one-of-a-kind work of art! From imagination to execution, truly first-rate all around. I think you have nailed the space race theme even better than a certain PDX-based pedal company... ;)
Quote from: Bret608 on January 24, 2019, 06:48:03 PM
This is just such a one-of-a-kind work of art! From imagination to execution, truly first-rate all around. I think you have nailed the space race theme even better than a certain PDX-based pedal company... ;)
Funny you should mention that! I was unaware that there was a pedal by that name until recently, when the guy I did the build for showed me. Haha. We came up with the name a couple years ago when this whole mad thing started.
With previous builds you have already set and raised the bar. With this one, I'm not sure what to say you've done with the bar...launched it into orbit?
Amazing.
Btw, your PC flights parts remind me of the 777 sim I did with a couple of guys about 15 years ago. We even snagged a couple of real parts from a 737.
(https://i.imgur.com/v9Bencq.jpg)
Quote from: pickdropper on January 27, 2019, 05:03:43 AM
Btw, your PC flights parts remind me of the 777 sim I did with a couple of guys about 15 years ago. We even snagged a couple of real parts from a 737.
Dang that's cool. I always thought it would be cool to learn to fly. I've never been in a simulator but when I was younger I took an introductory flight in an old Taylorcraft. I loved it! I wish I would have learned to fly when it was so accessible and actually relatively cheap. Oh well. I guess the flip side to that is that I have a good friend who is a pilot. He knew when he was a young kid that's what he was going to do with his life. He's put crazy amounts of time and work into it as a commercial pilot and he makes essentially peanuts. It's something you have to love, or don't do it.
I was telling another pilot friend of mine how I was going to age the parts on the pedal and that I was nervous about overdoing it. He made it sound like that would be almost impossible. I guess plane controls get pretty worn over the years. I suppose it could be the same for an old space craft.
The attention to detail on this is absolutely nuts... custom cut plates, aged parts, the backlit globe, 3d printed mounting brackets, LACED cloth wiring (etc., etc....)!
It's just too much... I can't.
Quote from: Leevibe on January 27, 2019, 05:13:22 AM
Quote from: pickdropper on January 27, 2019, 05:03:43 AM
Btw, your PC flights parts remind me of the 777 sim I did with a couple of guys about 15 years ago. We even snagged a couple of real parts from a 737.
Dang that's cool. I always thought it would be cool to learn to fly. I've never been in a simulator but when I was younger I took an introductory flight in an old Taylorcraft. I loved it! I wish I would have learned to fly when it was so accessible and actually relatively cheap. Oh well. I guess the flip side to that is that I have a good friend who is a pilot. He knew when he was a young kid that's what he was going to do with his life. He's put crazy amounts of time and work into it as a commercial pilot and he makes essentially peanuts. It's something you have to love, or don't do it.
I was telling another pilot friend of mine how I was going to age the parts on the pedal and that I was nervous about overdoing it. He made it sound like that would be almost impossible. I guess plane controls get pretty worn over the years. I suppose it could be the same for an old space craft.
Well, I built a sim with two other guys and I STILL can't fly. I'm clearly a menace to society in the cockpit.
Quote from: pickdropper on January 29, 2019, 01:38:10 AM
Well, I built a sim with two other guys and I STILL can't fly. I'm clearly a menace to society in the cockpit.
OK, I'm just now understanding that you
built that simulator. Um. Wow. That is over the top cool. I bet it cost a fortune in parts judging by the stuff I've looked at.
Holy shit. Dude, totally impressed with the amount of time and thought and then execution you put into this.
Note to self: I need to up my game.....
Wot he said. So creative, thanks for sharing the pics :)